


You Flower, You Feast

by 2000regrets



Category: Dead Poets Society (1989)
Genre: Charlie is a chaotic good, Cheeks - Freeform, Chris Noel is the cool barista, DPS Fic Exchange 2018, Flower Crowns, Ginny/Chris (if you squint), M/M, Neil and Todd are fucking cute, Neil and Todd are oblivious buffoons, anderperry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-19
Updated: 2018-07-19
Packaged: 2019-06-12 18:27:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15345891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/2000regrets/pseuds/2000regrets
Summary: Neil and Todd are pining oblivious dummies and their friends are tired of it.Also, Charlie is pastel punk and knows how to get what he wants.Bonus points for flower crowns and a dash of Charlie/Meeks (you're welcome).





	You Flower, You Feast

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: The title is from a Harry Styles song. It'll make sense later.

When Charlie Dalton decided to be a pastel punk, his roommate Neil was initially convinced it was a phase. 

“What even is a pastel punk?” Neil had asked, when Charlie first came home with light purple eyeliner and a nose piercing. 

“It’s just being a punk, but with prettier colors, Perry. Don’t you know your internet lingo?” Charlie guffawed at Neil’s apparent lack of whatever it was he was missing. 

Neil didn’t really think he needed a tumblr to know about the important things going on in the world, but he asked Todd to use his, and looked it up. Charlie had found something all right. There were pages upon pages of girls with cotton candy hair and soft smiles, all at concerts, or sitting in a field of flowers. Neil couldn’t help but laugh, because this was so Dalton it hurt. The combination of soft, beautiful aesthetics with the pink scene perfectly encapsulated Charlie’s contradictory nature. The other boys thought this would go down the drain, like Charlie’s hipster phase, but Neil eventually won the jackpot (of $25 and some cookies Gerard made) when the six month mark came and Charlie was pink haired as ever. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

“I want my party to have a lot of flowers!” Charlie announced, flopping onto the couch, his head landing in Neil’s lap. Neil studied his friend’s face quizzically, brows knit as his eyes were directed to Charlie’s shock of purple hair now resting on his legs.

“What are those, Charlie?” He asked, his fingers resting on the freckles that had amassed upon his roommate’s face. 

“They’re freckles. I’m trying a new thing. Ginny says she’ll teach me about makeup.” Charlie swatted Neil’s hands off of his face. 

“Usually,” Neil explained, “freckles aren’t purple.” 

Charlie rolled his eyes, “Anyways, Neil. I want flowers. The whole apartment just covered in flowers. Not in a tacky way.” 

Neil sighed, because he wasn’t sure where flowers fit into Charlie’s minimal budget. He wasn’t sure how he and Todd had become the party planners for Charlie’s 21st birthday, but he didn’t have the heart to bail on Dalton’s extravagance just yet. He might seem like a pillar of self confidence, but Neil knew better. Charlie needed people to like him, and a party was his best bet at getting people to overlook his snark and realize his full potential of being a good, albeit dramatic person. And on the bright side, it meant he could spend more time with Todd. 

“So how’s Todd?” Charlie’s voice cut into his thoughts, pulling him back into the dingy apartment. 

“I don’t know. I’m sure he’s fine,” Neil answered stiffly, his lips pressing together. Charlie smirked, pulling Neil’s clasped hands into his. 

“I’m asking cause you’re making the face you make when you think about him. The ‘I’m hopelessly in love with you’ face” 

Neil sighed softly. Shit. 

“Is it that obvious?” He questioned gloomily.

“To me, yeah. But he’s oblivious. You could propose and he’d ask if you were serious. Don’t worry,” Charlie laughed. 

Neil shook his head at Charlie. Of course he knew. Charlie always knew, in a way that made Neil think he had eyes in the back of his head. He wasn’t even sure when his brain went from liking Todd as a friend, to feeling something more, but recently it was all he could think about. And apparently, people were starting to catch on. Neil didn’t exactly mind that people knew — he was a romantic after all, but something caught in his throat when he thought about telling Todd. Neil’s confidence couldn’t slice a knife through the wall that Todd put up around his emotions. 

“Okay. What flowers do you want?” Neil cleared his throat, and listened as Charlie launched into his ridiculous alphabetized list of perfect flowers. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Jesus Christ Todd. Just do it. I asked out Charlie, and look at us now,” Steven Meeks spoke to his roommate sternly, as his glasses fogged up with the steam of his coffee. Draped across him on his stained couch was said boyfriend, Charlie, who was entertaining himself with Meeks’ phone. 

Todd cringed. How did they know? He swore he had only told Gerard, but it had spread - first to Ginny and then to Meeks - which meant Charlie inevitably knew. Even Cameron and Knox had found out. So what if he was in love? So what if it was with his best friend, who was probably straight anyways? Todd was tired of the constant stream of advice coming from his friends. It had been three months since he had realized his feelings, and all he wanted to do was ignore the love until it went away. 

“Meeks,” Todd answered, his voice level, “How many times do I have to explain. Neil isn’t into me. He’s into someone from his theater arts class. He told Ginny.”

Looking down and twiddling with his fingers, Todd quietly added the one thing that hurt the most about all of this, “And you know I’m not his type.” 

Meeks and Charlie exchanged a glance. “Are you sure about that?” Steven giggled, his hand intertwining with Charlie’s, “because I thought Charlie was into half of the city before I finally found the guts to ask him about it.” 

“Neil and I aren’t like that,” Todd interjected, “and anyways, you knew Charlie wasn’t straight. I don’t know what the hell Neil is.” He said this as if Neil were some sort of mythical creature, an urban legend that the older boys would use to taunt the younger ones. For him, Neil was another kind magic, something with amber eyes that bled through to Todd’s bones, warm and sweet. 

“That’s not fair. Does he know that you’re not straight?” Meeks asked. Todd goes quiet.

“Well.. no. I just don’t know how to bring it up. I’m not ashamed or anything, I just haven’t found the right moment to tell him.” Todd answered defensively, his hands running through his hair. 

“Todd, you know you don’t have to say it to his face, right? You’re not shy about it. We’ve been to pride a billion times. Why not just put something online?” Meeks shrugged at his suggestion, but Todd was intrigued. I guess it didn’t hurt - it was June after all. 

“Okay. How about a rainbow flag in my instagram bio? Is that too much?” 

“That’s good! Post something on your story, so he’ll click on your profile,” Charlie ordered. 

“I don’t think he’ll click on it.” 

“Oh trust me, he will,” Charlie interjected.

Feeling a tad bit silly, Todd added the emoji to his bio, and posted a picture of him, Meeks, and Charlie from earlier in the day. He liked to think that even if Neil was straight, he’d be proud of Todd for taking his walls down. 

“This still doesn’t answer what his sexuality is,” Todd sighed, refreshing his feed repeatedly before throwing his phone down in a huff. 

“Well you can ask him. Tomorrow,” Charlie winked at Todd. 

“Tomorrow?” Todd asked. 

“You’re making the flower crowns? For my party? The one that is also tomorrow?” Charlie waggled his eyebrows, and a bit of glitter fell from them. 

“Oh shit. The party. Your birthday. I was so caught up with writing my new piece that I forgot. I’ll be there.” 

Charlie smiled. “You better be. I’ll make sure you two lovebirds are alone.” 

————————————————————————

“WHY are you leaving us alone. Did you SEE what he posted?” Neil ran across the apartment in a frenzy, half dressed. 

“What are you talking about?” Charlie smirked, a bouquet of pink roses in his arms.

“He’s gay! Or bi! Or… I don’t know. But you know I need at least a day to process this. Not one lousy hour. I need time to figure out how to make a move. Or at the very least, see if he’s into me,” Neil pulled on his shirt too quickly, not seeming to realize it was backwards, and continued to mumble haphazardly. 

“Neil, if you weren’t able to notice that he’s gay before an emoji that’s on you. You shouldn’t worry though. You’re a charmer. And he’s your best friend, you know him. This doesn’t make hanging out with him any different,” Charlie fixed his hair in the mirror, and grabbed his keys. 

Neil clung on to Charlie’s arm in a last ditch attempt – “Please don’t go.” 

“Neil. You’re being a wimp. And Neil Perry isn’t a wimp. Go get him. It won’t hurt to try.” With that, Charlie shook Neil off of him and bolted out of the door. 

Neil spent the hour before Todd’s arrival pacing around the apartment and learning how to make flower crowns. He wanted to be amused by Charlie’s page full of handwritten directions, but his brain was too occupied by Todd and rainbow emojis and how he maybe should light a candle so his apartment seems cozier. 

——————————————————————

Todd was too nervous to arrive on time. He was outside of Neil’s apartment ten minutes before noon, working up the nerve to knock on his door. He had hung out with Neil countless times before, but it felt different, now that Todd knew there was a chance that Neil had seen his profile.

It took a couple minutes of pacing and one level of candy crush for Todd to once again arrive at the end of the hallway and knock on Neil’s door. And then there he was. Todd had seen him a million times, and it still made him catch his breath when he took him in. His hair was messy, because Neil Perry didn’t believe in hair product, but his eyes were so bright they almost looked wild. Todd’s gaze shifted downwards and he stifled a giggle. 

“Your shirt is on backwards.” Todd pointed at the tag that was sticking up, almost brushing against Neil’s chin. 

Neil’s face flushed. “Oh. Sorry… I just woke up.” Todd raised an eyebrow, because Neil Perry was the poster-child for morning people. Neil pulled his shirt off to fix it and Todd tried not to look at the freckles that were spread across his shoulders. After what felt like far too long, Neil had his shirt back on. 

“I’m happy to see you, because this is gonna be a long afternoon. Charlie went wild with the flowers,” Neil explained, with one of his tilted grins that made Todd’s heart soar. 

Todd peered behind Neil’s tall frame, and was met with what looked like a mountain of fake flowers. He giggled, because of course Charlie had to go all out for his birthday. And of course he expected Neil and Todd to spend hours making his dreams a reality, but Todd didn’t really mind because it was Charlie and he loved him. 

“So do you even know how to make these?” Todd asked, as they walked inside of the apartment. He was greeted by Harry Styles playing quietly from Neil’s record player. Most of the decorations in the apartment were Charlie’s idea, but there were hints of Neil everywhere. Todd couldn’t help but think how reminiscent it was of Neil, to bring little bits of character to the world in every facet. They sat down on the patchy love-seat, and Todd was instantly aware that Neil’s knee was touching his. 

“I mean, I have a vague idea. Charlie has the supplies out and a lot of instructions,” Neil laughed, shaking his head, “But I know you and I will do just fine with it.” 

Todd smiled, blushing slightly. You and I. He was being stupid, but it sounded so right when Neil said it -- Almost as if they were in one of the Nancy Meyers movies that Neil loved. Almost as if they were supposed to exist as You and I. 

“Well,” Todd cleared his throat, bringing himself back, “You’re the crafty one, so take pity on me and give me the easiest job?” 

“How about you cut the flowers? Just cut the tops off. But I have another request… I need to shape this wire to go on people’s heads. I’m gonna have to use your head as a model for the first one. Will you do me the honor?” Neil asked with his usual flourish, and Todd was nodding yes before he realized that his second job included being in close proximity to the boy he was pretty sure he was in love with. 

As Neil fussed over the wire, Todd busied himself with cutting the flowers, quietly singing along to the Harry Styles song that drifted through the room. He wasn’t so sure about listening to a former boyband member when Neil first recommended him, but his friend was so enthusiastic that he couldn’t refuse. And of course, Neil was right. He had a knack for finding good things, because he never held judgment in his heart. 

“Todd, you’re not cutting them far enough, you have to cut all the way up to here,” Neil giggled, pointing to Todd’s mistakes. Todd fixed the flowers that he could salvage, and heaped the defective flowers into a small pile. Smiling, he picked up a pearly pink rose and tucked it behind Neil’s ear. 

“There. Charlie would be proud of your accessorizing.” 

Neil grinned, his fingers brushing against the flower,“You sure it looks good?” 

Todd wasn’t sure how to respond, but before he knew it, his voice got soft and he was speaking: “You look great. You always do.” 

Neil was quiet for a minute, his eyes trained on the wire in his hands.

“Okay,” Neil’s voice cut through the silence. He moved closer and wrapped the piece of wire around Todd’s head, “Does that feel good?” 

Todd shrugged, mumbling a quick yes. They were so close. He couldn’t help himself from staring at Neil in the way that he did when no one was looking. 

Neil went to speak, but he paused, staring back at Todd in a way he hadn’t noticed before. The record stopped playing, and there was a sudden pause in the room. Todd could hear the big, shaky breaths Neil was taking. He could feel Neil’s hands falling from the crown on Todd’s face, to his shoulders. 

“Hey Todd?” Neil’s voice was soft, and his eyes were suddenly anywhere but Todd, “I have a question… Are you gay? Because I-”

The door swung open, and Neil and Todd sprung apart as Charlie Dalton’s voice boomed across the silence. “Can you BELIEVE I forgot my fucking wallet? I totally embarrassed myself in front of that really scary cool barista down the street. You know, the one with the hair? And the shoes? There goes that friendship.” 

Charlie turned the corner into the living room and cringed.

“I’m interrupting something, aren’t I?” He raised a glittery nail to his mouth and started biting it, “I can go, I really just had to grab my wallet.” 

 

Neil shrugged, and said breezily, “You’re fine, why would you be interrupting?” 

Todd’s heart dropped. Of course Neil didn’t like him. This wasn’t a big deal to him, like Todd had stupidly assumed. He was just being a supportive friend, something Todd was going to ruin if he tried to bring his feelings into it. 

“Yeah, you weren’t interrupting anything,” Todd said quickly, “Actually, I was just going. I, uh, have to get your present. Totally slipped my mind. Sorry Neil, you can handle this by yourself though, right? I mean, I wasn’t good at it in the first place.” 

Neil went to protest, but Todd was already gathering his things and scurrying out of the door before he could tell him to wait. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Charlie. If it wasn’t your birthday I would kill you,” Neil said as the door slammed shut. 

“Jesus. Nice to know you care about me. Why did he run off? Did you tell him?” Charlie asked as he grabbed a flower crown and began to work. 

“Well I was going to, and then you barged in,” Neil ran his hands through his hair, and sighed. 

“First of all. It’s my apartment, so it wasn’t barging in. Secondly, you’re only allowed to bring your emotional baggage to my birthday party if you actually kiss him.” 

Neil huffed, “I guess he thought I wasn’t interested or something. I mean, I thought I was being really obvious. I was two inches from him.” 

“Neil. Have you ever met Todd? I love that kid but he’s oblivious. You have to just go for it,” Charlie explained. 

Neil wasn’t sure if he could wait the three hours until the party started, but he had a pile of unmade flower crowns to keep him company during the delay. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Todd. It’ll be fine. I swear, you two are the dumbest human beings alive.” 

Meeks was mumbling something, but Todd didn’t notice. Here he was again, outside of Neil’s apartment, nervous again, but for a completely different reason this time. He wasn’t sure how to face Neil. Was what had happened earlier even worth mentioning? Was it anything at all? Todd’s anxiety was screaming at him to forget it had ever happened, but a deeper part of him knew that he couldn’t leave whatever had happened alone. 

Before he knew it, Meeks was pulling him into a mess of pink and purple. Looking around, Todd was surprised this was the same apartment. There were flowers on everything, and Gerard had set up mood lighting that washed everyone in pink. All of Charlie’s friends were there (adorned with flower crowns of course), with an added twenty or so people because Charlie’s parties had a certain kind of notoriety to them. Todd almost laughed to himself when he noticed the barista Charlie had been talking about leaning against the kitchen counter, holding a plastic cup and talking to Ginny. 

And there, in the center of everything, was Neil. He was wearing a flower crown, like everyone else, but he made it work in a way that made Todd’s stomach twist. He felt Steven gingerly place something on his head. 

“Here, you fit in now. Go talk to him. You’ll regret it if you don’t,” Meeks patted Todd on the back, and walked away to find Charlie. 

Todd sighed. Meeks was right - he would regret not telling Neil. His pining had gone on far too long. With all of the confidence he could muster, Todd walked over to Neil, practicing his words in his head. 

Neil was laughing at something Knox was saying, but once he noticed Todd he stopped. Turning to face him, he started to speak, but Todd cut him off. 

“We need to talk. Alone.” Todd gestured to the hallway that led to Neil’s bedroom, and marched towards it, barely glancing back to make sure that Neil was following him. His adrenaline was pumping. He felt as ready as he would ever be to get this over with. 

The door closed, and Todd deflated a bit. Neil’s room smelled like pine needles, and the sounds of the party were pulsating through the walls, slightly muffled. He wasn’t sure how to start, but he didn’t have to, because suddenly Neil was talking a mile a minute.

“Todd, I’m sorry about earlier. I shouldn’t have asked about your sexuality, even if you had posted about it. You obviously weren’t ready to tell me and that’s not fair and even though I’m kinda sorta in love with you I need to respect your feelings and just wait and…” Neil trailed off, his face scarlet, “I just don’t want to ruin things with you.” 

Todd shook his head and smiled, “We really are oblivious.” 

And with that, he leaned in and kissed him. It was so easy, he wanted to kick himself for not doing it sooner. Neil was surprised at first, but caught up quickly, running his fingers through Todd’s hair and knocking his flower crown off. When they were done, Todd touched his lips.

“Did you get something sticky on me?” He was flushed, and grinning so hard it hurt. 

“Oh, that. Charlie gave me sparkly lipgloss. He said I would need it for later. I guess I know what he meant now,” Neil explained, pulling Todd closer. 

“Do you think our friends had a bet on us getting together, like the bet we had about Charlie’s pastel punk phase?” Todd asked quietly, his hand cupping Neil’s face. 

“We can find out about that later,” Neil mumbled, before kissing Todd again. 

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Charlie Dalton got many extravagant gifts for his birthday, but his favorite one of all was the $50 dollars given to him collectively from his friends, for being the chaotically magnificent matchmaker he is (and winning the bet they had all made).

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I haven't written a DPS fic since I was fifteen, which is wild, but if you liked it, please let me know! This is for the DPS fic exchange 2018, and I had so much fun writing it. I love these characters so much, and I hope this made other fans happy.


End file.
